Tech & Book Talk at SSCL

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week, five digital titles available through OverDrive and five print titles available through StarCat.

DIGITAL SUGGESTIONS OF THE WEEK:

Bowlaway: A Novel by Elizabeth McCracken

A sweeping and enchanting new novel from the widely beloved, award-winning author Elizabeth McCracken about three generations of an unconventional New England family who own and operate a candlepin bowling alley

From the day she is discovered unconscious in a New England cemetery at the turn of the twentieth century—nothing but a bowling ball, a candlepin, and fifteen pounds of gold on her person—Bertha Truitt is an enigma to everyone in Salford, Massachusetts. She has no past to speak of, or at least none she is willing to reveal, and her mysterious origin scandalizes and intrigues the townspeople, as does her choice to marry and start a family with Leviticus Sprague, the doctor who revived her. But Bertha is plucky, tenacious, and entrepreneurial, and the bowling alley she opens quickly becomes Salford’s most defining landmark—with Bertha its most notable resident.

When Bertha dies in a freak accident, her past resurfaces in the form of a heretofore-unheard-of son, who arrives in Salford claiming he is heir apparent to Truitt Alleys. Soon it becomes clear that, even in her death, Bertha’s defining spirit and the implications of her obfuscations live on, infecting and affecting future generations through inheritance battles, murky paternities, and hidden wills.

In a voice laced with insight and her signature sharp humor, Elizabeth McCracken has written an epic family saga set against the backdrop of twentieth-century America. Bowlaway is both a stunning feat of language and a brilliant unraveling of a family’s myths and secrets, its passions and betrayals, and the ties that bind and the rifts that divide.

 

Gingerbread: A Novel by Helen Oyeyemi

The prize-winning, bestselling author of Boy, Snow, Bird and What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours returns with a bewitching and imaginative novel.

Influenced by the mysterious place gingerbread holds in classic children’s stories, beloved novelist Helen Oyeyemi invites readers into a delightful tale of a surprising family legacy, in which the inheritance is a recipe.

Perdita Lee may appear to be your average British schoolgirl; Harriet Lee may seem just a working mother trying to penetrate the school social hierarchy; but there are signs that they might not be as normal as they think they are. For one thing, they share a gold-painted, seventh-floor walk-up apartment with some surprisingly verbal vegetation. And then there’s the gingerbread they make. Londoners may find themselves able to take or leave it, but it’s very popular in Druhástrana, the far-away (or, according to many sources, non-existent) land of Harriet Lee’s early youth. The world’s truest lover of the Lee family gingerbread, however, is Harriet’s charismatic childhood friend Gretel Kercheval —a figure who seems to have had a hand in everything (good or bad) that has happened to Harriet since they met.
Decades later, when teenaged Perdita sets out to find her mother’s long-lost friend, it prompts a new telling of Harriet’s story. As the book follows the Lees through encounters with jealousy, ambition, family grudges, work, wealth, and real estate, gingerbread seems to be the one thing that reliably holds a constant value. Endlessly surprising and satisfying, written with Helen Oyeyemi’s inimitable style and imagination, it is a true feast for the reader.

 

Lessons From Lucy by Dave Barry (Format: Downloadable Audiobook)

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and bestselling author Dave Barry reads his latest book on how he learned to age gracefully, taking cues from his beloved and highly intelligent dog, Lucy.

Faced with the obstacles and challenges of life after middle age, Dave Barry turns to his best dog, Lucy, to learn how to live his best life. From “Make New Friends” (an unfortunate fail when he can’t overcome his dislike for mankind) to “Don’t Stop Having Fun” (validating his longtime membership in a marching unit that performs in parades—and even Obama’s inauguration), Dave navigates his later years with good humor and grace. Lucy teaches Dave how to live in the present, how to let go of daily grievances, and how to feel good in your own skin. The lessons are drawn from Dave’s routine humiliations and stream-of-consciousness accounts of the absurdities of daily life, which will leave readers heaving with laughter and recognition.

Laugh-out-loud hilarious, whether he’s trying to “Pay Attention to the People You Love” (even when your brain is not listening) or deciding to “Let Go of Your Anger,” Dave Barry’s Lessons From Lucy is a witty and wise guide to joyous living.

The Little French Bistro by Nina George (Format: Downloadable Audiobook)

From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Little Paris Bookshop, an extraordinary novel about self-discovery and new beginnings.

Marianne is stuck in a loveless, unhappy marriage. After forty-one years, she has reached her limit, and one evening in Paris she decides to take action. Following a dramatic moment on the banks of the Seine, Marianne leaves her life behind and sets out for the coast of Brittany, also known as “the end of the world.”

Here she meets a cast of colorful and unforgettable locals who surprise her with their warm welcome, and the natural ease they all seem to have, taking pleasure in life’s small moments. And, as the parts of herself she had long forgotten return to her in this new world, Marianne learns it’s never too late to begin the search for what life should have been all along.

With all the buoyant charm that made The Little Paris Bookshop a beloved bestseller, The Little French Bistro is a tale of second chances and a delightful embrace of the joys of life in France.

 

Mornings on Main: A Small-Town Texas Novel by Jodi Thomas

“Compelling and beautifully written.” —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author on Ransom Canyon
From the beloved and bestselling author of the Ransom Canyon and Harmony, Texas series comes a powerful, heartwarming story about generations of family and the ironclad bonds they forge

When Jillian James lands in the small town Texas community of Laurel Springs, she’s definitely not planning to stay—except to find a few clues about the father who abandoned her and destroyed her faith in family.

Connor Larady is a single dad, and the only one caring for his grandmother, Eugenia, who has Alzheimer’s. And now he has to close Eugenia’s quilt shop. When Connor meets down-on-her-luck Jillian, he’s out of options. Can he trust the newcomer to do right by his grandmother’s legacy?

Jillian is done with relationships. But as she grows closer to Connor and Eugenia, she must consider giving up her nomadic life for a future with those who need her.

An inspiring family saga that asks us to consider what love and chosen family really mean.

 

Renegades by Melissa Meyer (Format: eBook)

From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer, comes a high-stakes world of adventure, passion, danger, and betrayal.

Secret Identities.

Extraordinary Powers.

She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to the villains who have the power to end them both.

 

PRINT BOOK SUGGESTIONS OF THE WEEK:

The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith

The detectives who work in Malmo Police’s Department of Sensitive Crimes take their job very seriously. The lead detective, Ulf Varg, prioritizes his cases above even his dog’s mental health … [In this book, the department] takes on three extremely strange cases. First, the detectives investigate how and why a local business owner was stabbed–in the back of the knee. Next, a young woman’s imaginary boyfriend goes missing. And in the final investigation, Varg must determine whether nocturnal visitations at a local spa have a supernatural element.

 

The Guest Book by Sarah Blake

A novel about past mistakes and betrayals that ripple throughout generations, The Guest Book examines not just a privileged American family, but a privileged America. It is a literary triumph. The Guest Book follows three generations of a powerful American family, a family that “used to run the world.” And when the novel begins in 1935, they still do. Kitty and Ogden Milton appear to have everything–perfect children, good looks, a love everyone envies. But after a tragedy befalls them, Ogden tries to bring Kitty back to life by purchasing an island in Maine. That island, and its house, come to define and burnish the Milton family, year after year after year. And it is there that Kitty issues a refusal that will haunt her till the day she dies. In 1959 a young Jewish man, Len Levy, will get a job in Ogden’s bank and earn the admiration of Ogden and one of his daughters, but the scorn of everyone else. Len’s best friend, Reg Pauling, has always been the only black man in the room–at Harvard, at work, and finally at the Miltons’ island in Maine. An island that, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, this last generation doesn’t have the money to keep. When Kitty’s granddaughter hears that she and her cousins might be forced to sell it, and when her husband brings back disturbing evidence about her grandfather’s past, she realizes she is on the verge of finally understanding the silences that seemed to hover just below the surface of her family all her life. An ambitious novel that weaves the American past with its present, Sarah Blake’s The Guest Book looks at the racism and power that has been systemically embedded in the U.S. for generations.

 

Like Lions by Brian Panowich

Clayton Burroughs is a small-town Georgia sheriff, a new father, and, improbably, the heir apparent of Bull Mountain’s most notorious criminal family. As he tries to juggle fatherhood, his job and his recovery from being shot in the confrontation that killed his two criminally-inclined brothers last year, he’s doing all he can just to survive. Yet after years of carefully toeing the line between his life in law enforcement and his family, he finally has to make a choice.

 

Little Darlings: A Novel by Melanie Golding

Everyone says Lauren Tranter is exhausted, that she needs rest. And they’re right; with newborn twins, Morgan and Riley, she’s never been more tired in her life. But she knows what she saw: that night, in her hospital room, a woman tried to take her babies and replace them with her own … creatures. Yet when the police arrived, they saw no one. Everyone, from her doctor to her husband, thinks she’s imagining things. A month passes. And one bright summer morning, the babies disappear from Lauren’s side in a park. But when they’re found, something is different about them. The infants look like Morgan and Riley — to everyone else. But to Lauren, something is off. As everyone around her celebrates their return, Lauren begins to scream, “These are not my babies.” Determined to bring her true infant sons home, Lauren will risk the unthinkable. But if she’s wrong about what she saw … she’ll be making the biggest mistake of her life. Compulsive, creepy, and inspired by some of our darkest fairy tales, Little Darlings will have you checking — and rechecking — your own little ones. Just to be sure. Just to be safe.

 

The View From Alameda Island by Robyn Carr

From the outside looking in, Lauren Delaney has a life to envy – a successful career, a solid marriage to a prominent surgeon and two beautiful daughters who are off to good colleges. But on her twenty-fourth wedding anniversary Lauren makes a decision that will change everything. Lauren won’t pretend things are perfect anymore. She defies the controlling husband who has privately mistreated her throughout their marriage and files for divorce. And as she starts her new life, she meets a kindred spirit – a man who is also struggling with the decision to end his unhappy marriage. But Lauren’s husband wants his “perfect” life back and his actions are shocking. Facing an uncertain future, Lauren discovers an inner strength she didn’t know she had as she fights for the love and happiness she deserves.

Have a great week!

Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD, etc.

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos.

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial-free music each day:

RBDigital

*Magazines are available for free and on demand! You can check out magazines and read them on your computer or download the RBDigital app from your app store and read them on your mobile devices.

ABOUT LIBRARY APPS:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or RB Digital app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at 607-936-3713 and one of our tech coaches will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are the top New York Times fiction and non-fiction bestsellers for the week that ends May 5, 2019.

(Click on the book covers to read a summary of each plot and to request the books of your choice.)

FICTION:

CELTIC EMPIRE by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler:

The 25th book in the Dirk Pitt series.

–

DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid:

A fictional oral history charting the rise and fall of a ’70s rock ’n’ roll band.

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ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE by Gail Honeyman:

A young woman’s well-ordered life is disrupted by the I.T. guy from her office.

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FIRE AND BLOOD by George R.R. Martin:

The first volume of the two-part history of the Targaryens in Westeros.

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GAME OF THRONES by George R.R. Martin:

In the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are mustering. Basis of the HBO series.

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A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles:

A Russian count undergoes 30 years of house arrest in the Metropol hotel, across from the Kremlin.

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LOST ROSES by Martha Hall Kelly:

In 1914, the New York socialite Eliza Ferriday works to help White Russian families escape from the revolution.

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MACHINES LIKE ME by Ian McEwan & Nan A. Talese:

In an alternative 1980s London, a love triangle develops between a couple and a synthetic human.

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MIRACLE AT ST. ANDREWS by James Patterson and Peter de Jonge:

A former professional golfer visits the course in Scotland.

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THE MISTER by E L James:

Maxim Trevelyan inherits several estates and overpowers his cleaner Alessia Demachi, an Albanian piano prodigy who has been trafficked into England.

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NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney:

The connection between a high school star athlete and a loner ebbs and flows when they go to Trinity College in Dublin.

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THE OVERSTORY by Richard Powers Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

Nine people drawn to trees for different reasons fight for the last of the remaining acres of virgin forest.

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REDEMPTION by David Baldacci:

The fifth book in the Memory Man series. The first man Amos Decker put behind bars asks to have his name cleared.

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RUN AWAY by Harlan Coben:

A family is torn apart when the daughter becomes addicted to drugs and goes missing.

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THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides:

Theo Faber looks into the mystery of a famous painter who stops speaking after shooting her husband.

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SOMEONE KNOWS by Lisa Scottoline:

A dark secret emerges when Allie Garvey returns home to attend a childhood friend’s funeral.

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STAR WARS: MASTER & APPRENTICE by Claudia Gray:

The bond between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi is tested when they go on a mission to the royal court of Pijal.

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TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ by Heather Morris:

A concentration camp detainee tasked with permanently marking fellow prisoners falls in love with one of them.

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THE TROUBLE WITH VAMPIRES by Lynsay Sands 

The 29th book in the Argeneau series. Santo Notte falls for a history professor in upstate New York.

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens:

In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.

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THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW by A.J. Finn:

A recluse who drinks heavily and takes prescription drugs may have witnessed a crime across from her Harlem townhouse.

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NON-FICTION:

BAD BLOOD by John Carreyrou:

The rise and fall of Theranos, the biotech startup that failed to deliver on its promise to make blood testing more efficient.

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BECOMING by Michelle Obama:

The former first lady describes her journey from the South Side of Chicago to the White House, and how she balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.

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BORN A CRIME by Trevor Noah:

A memoir about growing up biracial in apartheid South Africa by the host of “The Daily Show.”

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EDUCATED by Tara Westover:

The daughter of survivalists, who is kept out of school, educates herself enough to leave home for university.

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FALTER by Bill McKibben:

How unchecked climate change, robotics and artificial intelligence threaten human existence.

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K by Tyler Kepner:

The national baseball writer for The New York Times lobs the folklore behind 10 types of pitches.

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LIFE WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME by Chelsea Handler:

The comedian chronicles going into therapy and becoming an advocate for change.

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THE MATRIARCH by Susan Page:

A biography of the former first lady Barbara Bush, based on interviews and her private diaries.

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MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO SOMEONE by Lori Gottlieb:

A psychotherapist gains unexpected insights when she becomes another therapist’s patient.

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MOMENT OF LIFT by Melinda Gates: 

The philanthropist shares stories of empowering women to improve society.

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NANAVILLE by Anna Quindlen:

The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist observes the joys of being a grandmother.

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RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY by Ben Shapiro:

The conservative political commentator reflects upon what he considers most impactful to Western civilization.

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SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari:

How Homo sapiens became Earth’s dominant species.

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SAVE ME THE PLUMS by Ruth Reichl:

A memoir by the former restaurant critic of The New York Times and editor in chief of Gourmet.

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SHORTEST WAY HOME by Pete Buttigieg:

A memoir by the current mayor of South Bend, Ind., and the first openly gay Democratic candidate to run for president of the United States.

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WORKING by Robert A. Caro:

The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer shares insights into his craft.

Have a great day!

Linda Reimer, SSL

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are our lucky seven musical streaming* suggestions for the week.

(Click on the photo of the album or playlist you’d like to hear, to play it!)

The Bluegrass Cardinals (1974/2003) by The Bluegrass Cardinals (Genre: Bluegrass):

The Bluegrass Cardinals formed in Los Angeles in 1974. The group consisted of mandolinist Randy Graham, and father and son musicians Don Parmley on banjo and David Parmley on vocals and guitar.

The group disbaned in the 1990s and David went on to a succesful solo career; and he is still playing concerts today.

The uptempo Bluegrass Cardinals album is the band’s debut LP and features the songs Bird Dog, Girl at the Crossroads Bar, Where No One Stands Alone and Are You Missing Me.

_

Schubert (2019) by Khatia Buniatishvili (Genre: Classical, Piano):

Virtuosos pianist Khatia Buniatishvili was born in 1987, began studying piano at age three and at age six began playing professionally. In the years since she has played across the globe with many musical partners including Placido Domingo, Mikhail Pletneve, Myung-Whung Chung, the Seattle Symphony, the London Symphony, the Isreal Phillharmonic and the Toronoto Symphony.

Her new album focuses on the work of Franz Schubert and features the following compositions Piano Sonata No. 21, 4 Impromptus, Op. 90 & Ständchen, S. 560.

_

Muskrat Ramble by The Mid States Four (Genre: Barbershop, a cappella, Vocal):

The Midstates Four was a Barbershop quartet that won the international* barbershop competition in 1949.

So yes, indeed, this album if full of what today is a rare singing form – Barbershop Quartet music!

Songs in the collection include Muskrat Ramble, Oklahoma Idian Jazz, Heart of My Heart & Swanee River.

_

Live at Winterland (1973/2013) by Quicksilver Messenger Service (Genre: Rock, Classic Rock):

Quicksilver Messenger Service consisted of singer-songwriter and guitarist Dino Valente, singer Jim Murray, guitarist John Cipollina, bassist David Freiberg and drummer Greg Elmore. The group formed in the mid-sixties and was part of the San Francisco based psychedelic sound.

This concert was recorded on December 1, 1973 at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco and, features the following songs Play My Guitar, Mojo, The Hat, Losing Hand and Who Do You Love?

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Perpetual Optimism (2019) by Herlin Riley (Genre: Jazz):

Herlin Riley is a New Orleans based jazz drummer known for his work with Wynton Marsalis, as a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and for his solo recordings. Perpetual Optimism is his brand new album, and it is – and I can’t resist – an optimistic album! Critic David Gelly, in his Guardian review of the LP, even describes the album as “joyous” and “rhythmically elegant.”

If you like New Orleans jazz – check this album out – it is perfect for weekend listening, and morning, noon or evening listening too!

Songs on the LP include Rush Hour, Be There When I Get There, Borders Without Lines and Stella By Starlight.

_

That’s What I Call Keen: 1926-1928 by Charley Straight and His Orchestra (Genre: Jazz, Ragtime):

Charley Straight was a Chicago based pianist who cut his musical teeth during the Vaudeville Era before forming his first big band in the 1920s.

That’s What I Call Keen includes songs recorded by Charley Straight and His Orchestra from 1926 to 1928, and it is a fun collection of vintage jazz horn-centric music!

This is a great album – check it out – songs include Sweet Southern Breeze, Talking to the Moon, Deep Henderson, Hobo’s Prayer and That’s Why I Love You.

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A Tip of the Hat to Fats (2019) by Mitch Woods (Genre: Jazz, Swing, Blues, Jump Blues):

Pianist Mitch Woods has described his music as “rock-a-boogie.” The music on this LP does indeed swing at the crossroads where swing and blues meet 1950s rock.

Woods is accompanied on the album by his backing band Rocket 88, and if you want to dance – this album is perfect – just hit play!

Songs include Solid Gold Cadillac, Mojo Mambo, Down Boy Down, Crawfishin’ and Blue Monday.

 

Videos of the Week:

Concert (August 12, 1983) by The Bluegrass Cardinals (2 hours!)

 

Girl at the Crossroads Bar by The Bluegrass Cardinals

 

F. Liszt – “Ständchen” Piano Transcriptions After Schubert by Khatia Buniatishvili

 

Schubert: Impromptu No. 3 in G-Flat Major, Op. 90, D. 899 by Khatia Buniatishvili

 

Carolina Sunshine by The Mid States Four

 

Swanee River by The Mid States Four

 

The Hat by Quicksilver Messenger Service

 

Play My Guitar by Quicksilver Messenger Service

 

Perpetual Optimism by Herlin Riley

 

Rush Hour by Herlin Riley

 

Hi Diddle Diddle by Charly Straight and his Orchestra

 

Too Busy by Charly Straight and his Orchestra

 

Solid Gold Cadillac by Mitch Woods

 

Walking To New Orleans by Mitch Woods

Have a great weekend!

Linda, SSCL

REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

Online References

AllMusic: https://www.allmusic.com/

David Parmley and Cardinal Tradition, https://davidparmley.com/

Herlin Riley, https://www.herlinriley.com/

Herlin Riley: Perpetual Optimism review – good-natured ease, brilliantly done, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/apr/21/herlin-riley-perpetual-optimism-review

*Freegal is a free streaming music service available for free to library cardholders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries. STLS member libraries include all the public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler, and Allegany counties — including our own Southeast Steuben County Library.

You can download the Freegal music app to your mobile device or access the desktop version of the site by clicking on the following link:

*The Freegal service offers library card holders the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week, five digital titles available through OverDrive and five print titles available through StarCat.

DIGITAL SUGGESTIONS OF THE WEEK:

The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge written by M. T. Anderson and read by Gildart Jackson (Format: Downloadable Audibook):

A National Book Award Winner

Uptight elfin historian Brangwain Spurge is on a mission: survive being catapulted across the mountains into goblin territory, deliver a priceless peace offering to their mysterious dark lord, and spy on the goblin kingdom—from which no elf has returned alive in more than a hundred years. Brangwain’s host, the goblin archivist Werfel, is delighted to show Brangwain around. They should be the best of friends, but a series of extraordinary double crosses, blunders, and cultural misunderstandings throws these two bumbling scholars into the middle of an international crisis that may spell death for them—and war for their nations. A hilarious and biting social commentary that could only come from the likes of National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson and Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin, this tale is rife with thrilling action and a comic disparity that suggests the ultimate victor in a war is perhaps not who won the battles but who gets to write the history.

 

Feast Your Eyes: A Novel written and read by Myla Goldberg (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

The first novel in nearly a decade from Myla Goldberg, the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Bee Season—a compelling and wholly original story about a female photographer grappling with ambition and motherhood, a balancing act familiar to women of every generation.

Feast Your Eyes, framed as the catalogue notes from a photography show at the Museum of Modern Art, tells the life story of Lillian Preston: “America’s Worst Mother, America’s Bravest Mother, America’s Worst Photographer, or America’s Greatest Photographer, depending on who was talking.” After discovering photography as a teenager through her high school’s photo club, Lillian rejects her parents’ expectations of college and marriage and moves to New York City in 1955. When a small gallery exhibits partially nude photographs of Lillian and her daughter Samantha, Lillian is arrested, thrust into the national spotlight, and targeted with an obscenity charge. Mother and daughter’s sudden notoriety changes the course of both of their lives and especially Lillian’s career as she continues a life-long quest for artistic legitimacy and recognition.

Narrated by Samantha, Feast Your Eyes reads as a collection of Samantha’s memories, interviews with Lillian’s friends and lovers, and excerpts from Lillian’s journals and letters—a collage of stories and impressions, together amounting to an astounding portrait of a mother and an artist dedicated, above all, to a vision of beauty, truth, and authenticity.

 

Game of Thrones: A Song of Fire and Ice Series, Book 1 written by George R. R. Martin and read by Roy Dotrice (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

If you’ve watched the series, check out the books, or listen to them – there is always more detail in the books!

And without further ado, here’s the overview of the story that many of us know so well:

Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King’s Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert’s name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse—unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season.

Yet a more immediate threat lurks to the south, where Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, has died under mysterious circumstances. Now Robert is riding north to Winterfell, bringing his queen, the lovely but cold Cersei, his son, the cruel, vainglorious Prince Joffrey, and the queen’s brothers Jaime and Tyrion of the powerful and wealthy House Lannister—the first a swordsman without equal, the second a dwarf whose stunted stature belies a brilliant mind. All are heading for Winterfell and a fateful encounter that will change the course of kingdoms.

Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Prince Viserys, heir of the fallen House Targaryen, which once ruled all of Westeros, schemes to reclaim the throne with an army of barbarian Dothraki—whose loyalty he will purchase in the only coin left to him: his beautiful yet innocent sister, Daenerys.

 

The Lost History of Dreams: A Novel by Kris Waldherr (Format: eBook):

“Rich descriptions and hints of supernatural presence that never cross into melodrama…Waldherr writes that ‘love stories are ghost stories in disguise.’ This one, happily, succeeds as both.” —Kirkus Reviews, (starred review)

A post-mortem photographer unearths dark secrets of the past that may hold the key to his future, in this captivating debut novel in the gothic tradition of Wuthering Heights and The Thirteenth Tale.

All love stories are ghost stories in disguise.

When famed Byronesque poet Hugh de Bonne is discovered dead of a heart attack in his bath one morning, his cousin Robert Highstead, a historian turned post-mortem photographer, is charged with a simple task: transport Hugh’s remains for burial in a chapel. This chapel, a stained glass folly set on the moors of Shropshire, was built by de Bonne sixteen years earlier to house the remains of his beloved wife and muse, Ada. Since then, the chapel has been locked and abandoned, a pilgrimage site for the rabid fans of de Bonne’s last book, The Lost History of Dreams.

However, Ada’s grief-stricken niece refuses to open the glass chapel for Robert unless he agrees to her bargain: before he can lay Hugh to rest, Robert must record Isabelle’s story of Ada and Hugh’s ill-fated marriage over the course of five nights.

As the mystery of Ada and Hugh’s relationship unfolds, so does the secret behind Robert’s own marriage—including that of his fragile wife, Sida, who has not been the same since the tragic accident three years ago, and the origins of his own morbid profession that has him seeing things he shouldn’t—things from beyond the grave.

Kris Waldherr effortlessly spins a sweeping and atmospheric gothic mystery about love and loss that blurs the line between the past and the present, truth and fiction, and ultimately, life and death.

 

The Sign of the Twisted Candles written by Carolyn Keene and read by Danica Reese:

Another exciting mystery begins for the young detective when her friends Bess and George ask her to investigate a rumor that their wealthy great-granduncle, Asa Sidney, is virtually a prisoner in his own mansion. But solving the mystery and befriending Carol Wipple, the sixteen-year-old foster daughter of the caretakers of the old mansion, nearly costs Nancy the friendship of Bess and George. It takes all of Nancy’s sleuthing ability as well as diplomacy to save it.Nancy braves one danger after another to bring to justice the swindlers who are stealing Asa Sidney’s fortune. With only the sign of the twisted candles to guide her, Nancy uncovers hidden treasure and an amazing letter that ends a family feud and brings unexpected happiness to Carol.

Nancy Drew Series, Book 9

 

PRINT BOOK SUGGESTIONS OF THE WEEK:

Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan:

New from Ian McEwan, Booker Prize winner and international bestselling author of Atonement and The Children Act

Machines Like Me takes place in an alternative 1980s London. Charlie, drifting through life and dodging full-time employment, is in love with Miranda, a bright student who lives with a terrible secret. When Charlie comes into money, he buys Adam, one of the first synthetic humans and—with Miranda’s help—he designs Adam’s personality. The near-perfect human that emerges is beautiful, strong, and clever. It isn’t long before a love triangle soon forms, and these three beings confront a profound moral dilemma.

In his subversive new novel, Ian McEwan asks whether a machine can understand the human heart—or whether we are the ones who lack understanding.

 

The Pandora Room: A Novel by Christopher Golden:

From the New York Times bestselling and Bram Stoker Award-winning author comes the sensational new novel that turns ancient lore into a modern-day horror. In one variation on the myth of Pandora’s Box, there were two jars, one for Pandora and one for her sister. One contained blessings of the gods, the other all the world’s curses…

Archaeologist Sophie Durand has spent her life studying ancient mythology and languages. Years of work have led her to the greatest discovery of her career, a subterranean city deep in the heart of Northern Iraq. When Sophie’s team uncovers a secret chamber whose walls are covered in cuneiform, along with a warning from Alexander the Great, history and mythology begin to merge. The writings confirm the Pandora tale of two jars, but the chamber guards only one. It’s a find that could make history, or start a war.

Weird-science expert Ben Walker is called in as the mystery grows ugly. Those who believe the myth want to know which jar was found, the one containing blessings or the one full of curses. Governments rush to lay claim, but jihadi forces aren’t waiting for the dust to settle. Whatever the jars contain, they want it, no matter the cost. For Sophie, Walker, and the others, the Pandora Room may soon become their tomb.

In a novel that breathes new life into the supernatural thriller, Christopher Golden’s pulse-pounding tale is not to be missed.

 

The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes:

An early work from the #1 New York Times bestselling author, Jojo Moyes, the story of a young woman who opens an eclectic shop and comes to terms with the secrets of her past.

In the sixties, Athene Forster was the most glamorous girl of her generation. Nicknamed the Last Deb, she was also beautiful, spoiled, and out of control. When she agreed to marry the gorgeous young heir Douglas Fairley-Hulme, her parents breathed a sigh of relief. But within two years, rumors had begun to circulate about Athene’s affair with a young salesman.

Thirty-five years later, Suzanna Peacock is struggling with her notorious mother’s legacy. The only place Suzanna finds comfort is in The Peacock Emporium, the beautiful coffee bar and shop she opens that soon enchants her little town. There she makes perhaps the first real friends of her life, including Alejandro, a male midwife, escaping his own ghosts in Argentina.

The specter of her mother still haunts Suzanna. But only by confronting both her family and her innermost self will she finally reckon with the past–and discover that the key to her history, and her happiness, may have been in front of her all along.

 

The Red Daughter: A Novel by John Burnham Schwarts:

Running from her father’s brutal legacy, Joseph Stalin’s daughter defects to the United States during the turbulence of the 1960s. For fans of We Were the Lucky Ones and A Gentleman in Moscow, this sweeping historical novel and unexpected love story is inspired by the remarkable life of Svetlana Alliluyeva.

“I read this lustrous novel in a single great draught. It is such a fine portrait of Stalin’s daughter—a difficult, complicated, and deeply sympathetic woman.”—Lauren Groff

In one of the most momentous events of the Cold War, Svetlana Alliluyeva, the only daughter of the Soviet despot Joseph Stalin, abruptly abandoned her life in Moscow in 1967, arriving in New York to throngs of reporters and a nation hungry to hear her story. By her side is Peter Horvath, a young lawyer sent by the CIA to smuggle Svetlana into America.

She is a contradictory celebrity: charismatic and headstrong, lonely and haunted, excited and alienated by her adopted country’s radically different society. Persuading herself that all she yearns for is a simple American life, she attempts to settle into a suburban existence in Princeton, New Jersey. But one day an invitation from the widow of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright arrives, and Svetlana impulsively joins her cultlike community at Taliesin West. When this dream ends in disillusionment, Svetlana reaches out to Peter, the one person who understands how the chains of her past still hold her prisoner. Their relationship changes and deepens, moving from America to England to the Soviet Union and back again, unfolding under the eyes of her CIA minders, and Svetlana’s and Peter’s private lives are no longer their own.

Novelist John Burnham Schwartz’s father was in fact the young lawyer who escorted Svetlana Alliluyeva to the United States. Drawing upon private papers and years of extensive research, Schwartz imaginatively re-creates the story of an extraordinary, troubled woman’s search for a new life and a place to belong, in the powerful, evocative prose that has made him an acclaimed author of literary and historical fiction.

 

Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors by Andrea Nguyen:

Delicious, fresh Vietnamese food is achievable any night of the week with this cookbook’s 80 accessible, easy recipes.

Drawing on decades of experience, as well as the cooking hacks her mom adopted after fleeing from Vietnam to America, award-winning author Andrea Nguyen shows you how to use easy-to-find ingredients to create true Vietnamese flavors at home—fast. With Nguyen as your guide, there’s no need to take a trip to a specialty grocer for favorites such as banh mi, rice paper rolls, and pho, as well as recipes for Honey-Glazed Pork Riblets, Chile Garlic Chicken Wings, Vibrant Turmeric Coconut Rice, and No-Churn Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream. Nguyen’s tips and tricks for creating Viet food from ingredients at national supermarkets are indispensable, liberating home cooks and making everyday cooking easier.

Have a great week!

Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD, etc.

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos.

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial-free music each day:

RBDigital

*Magazines are available for free and on demand! You can check out magazines and read them on your computer or download the RBDigital app from your app store and read them on your mobile devices.

ABOUT LIBRARY APPS:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or RB Digital app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at 607-936-3713 and one of our tech coaches will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are the top New York Times fiction and non-fiction bestsellers for the week that ends May 5, 2019.

(Click on the book covers to read a summary of each plot and to request the books of your choice.)

FICTION:

13-MINUTE MURDER by James Patterson:

Three stories: “Dead Man Running” (written with Christopher Farnsworth), “113 Minutes” (written with Max DiLallo) and “The 13-Minute Murder” (written with Shan Serafin).

AFTER by Anna Todd:

A college freshman leaves behind a reliable boyfriend in her hometown and falls for a bad boy.

–

CELTIC EMPIRE by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler:

The 25th book in the Dirk Pitt series.

–

THE CORNWALLS ARE GONE by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois: 

An Army intelligence officer must commit a crime or lose her kidnapped husband and daughter.

–

DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid:

A fictional oral history charting the rise and fall of a ’70s rock ’n’ roll band.

–

LOST ROSES by Martha Hall Kelly:

In 1914, the New York socialite Eliza Ferriday works to help White Russian families escape from the revolution.

–

MIRACLE AT ST. ANDREWS by James Patterson and Peter de Jonge:

A former professional golfer visits the course in Scotland.

–

THE MISTER by E L James:

Maxim Trevelyan inherits several estates and overpowers his cleaner Alessia Demachi, an Albanian piano prodigy who has been trafficked into England.

–

NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney:

The connection between a high school star athlete and a loner ebbs and flows when they go to Trinity College in Dublin.

–

THE OVERSTORY by Richard Powers:

Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Nine people drawn to trees for different reasons fight for the last of the remaining acres of virgin forest.

–

REDEMPTION by David Baldacci:

The fifth book in the Memory Man series. The first man Amos Decker put behind bars asks to have his name cleared.

–

THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides:

Theo Faber looks into the mystery of a famous painter who stops speaking after shooting her husband.

–

SOMEONE KNOWS by Lisa Scottoline:

A dark secret emerges when Allie Garvey returns home to attend a childhood friend’s funeral.

–

STAR WARS: MASTER & APPRENTICE by Claudia Gray:

The bond between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi is tested when they go on a mission to the royal court of Pijal.

–

TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ by Heather Morris:

A concentration camp detainee tasked with permanently marking fellow prisoners falls in love with one of them.

–

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens:

In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.

–

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW by A.J. Finn:

A recluse who drinks heavily and takes prescription drugs may have witnessed a crime across from her Harlem townhouse.

–

NON-FICTION:

BAD BLOOD by John Carreyrou:

The rise and fall of Theranos, the biotech startup that failed to deliver on its promise to make blood testing more efficient.

–

BECOMING by Michelle Obama:

The former first lady describes her journey from the South Side of Chicago to the White House, and how she balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.

–

BORN A CRIME by Trevor Noah:

A memoir about growing up biracial in apartheid South Africa by the host of “The Daily Show.”

–

EDUCATED by Tara Westover:

The daughter of survivalists, who is kept out of school, educates herself enough to leave home for university.

–

FALTER by Bill McKibben:

How unchecked climate change, robotics and artificial intelligence threaten human existence.

–
LESSONS FROM LUCY by Dave Barry:

The humorist tries to emulate his dog’s grace in contending with old age.

–

LIFE WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME by Chelsea Handler:

The comedian chronicles going into therapy and becoming an advocate for change.

–

THE MATRIARCH by Susan Page:

A biography of the former first lady Barbara Bush, based on interviews and her private diaries.

–

MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO SOMEONE by Lori Gottlieb:

A psychotherapist gains unexpected insights when she becomes another therapist’s patient.

–

RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY by Ben Shapiro:

The conservative political commentator reflects upon what he considers most impactful to Western civilization.

–

SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari:

How Homo sapiens became Earth’s dominant species.

–

SAVE ME THE PLUMS by Ruth Reichl:

A memoir by the former restaurant critic of The New York Times and editor in chief of Gourmet.

–

SHORTEST WAY HOME by Pete Buttigieg:

A memoir by the current mayor of South Bend, Ind., and the first openly gay Democratic candidate to run for president of the United States.

–

WORKING by Robert A. Caro:

The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer shares insights into his craft.

Have a great day!

Linda Reimer, SSL

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are our lucky seven musical streaming* suggestions for the week.

(Click on the photo of the album or playlist you’d like to hear, to play it!)

Hi everyone, just a quick reminder, the library is closed for spring cleaning this Saturday. And the library’s creation team will be at the Twin Tiers Mini Maker Faire at Corning Community College this Saturday, April 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We’ll have several cool make-it-and-take-it-with-you creation projects for your enjoyment – come and visit us in the gym.

Here’s a link to a PDF showing where all the creators will be at the Maker Faire:

Click to access 2019_Twin_Tiers_Mini_Maker_Faire_Map.pdf

And on to our lucky seven musical recommendations of the week!

When Lights Are Low (1964) by Tony Bennett (Genre: Traditional Pop, Vocal):

A classic album by the great 20th Century vocalist.

Smooth, easy listening music at its finest!

Songs on the album include: Nobody Else But Me, When Lights Are Low, I’ve Got Just About Everything, Oh! You Crazy Moon & It Had To Be You.

–

Resilience (2018) by the Calidore String Quartet:

The Calidore Quartet consists of Jeffrey Myers & Ryan Meehan on Violins, Jeremy Berry on Viola and Estelle Choi on cello. The group has received international acclaim, has played concerts at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus and won the $100,000 grand prize at inaugural M-Prize International Chamber Music Competition.

Resilience is the major label debut by the group and features music by composers Janacek, Prokofiev, Golijov & Mendelssohn.

–

When Guitars Ruled: A Tribute to the Shadows (2001) by The Echoes (Genre: Guitar, Instrumental):

Take a listening trip back to the days of vintage guitar instrumental music! There are several rock groups named The Echoes. And as the group that is being paid tribute to – is the classic guitar-centric British band The Shadows, one could be forgiven for, at first glance, thinking that the band who recoded this LP is the British band of the same name.

In fact, this band, The Echoes, hailed from Israel and played their cool classic rock music in the sixties and early seventies throughout Israel. The band featured Israel Gerson and Ramy Sadnai on guitars, Avital Raz and Alberto Shpilka on bass and Yossi Lahat on drums.

Songs on this laid back upbeat LP include: Shadoogie, Atlantis, Dance On, Peace Pipe, Foot Tapper and The Frightened City.

–

The Best Of (2013) by The International Sweethearts of Rhythm (Genre: Swing, Jazz, Big Band):

During World War II, when women were picking up the slack for the men who had gone off to war, The International Sweethearts of Rhythm formed and became one of the first all-female big bands to garner acclaim, respect and popularity. The 17-piece group was formed in Rankin County Mississippi in 1939, and was led by singer Anna Mae Winburn. The group featured excellent soloists including trumpeter Tiny Davis and saxophonist Viola Burnside. The band toured the country, appeared on radio broadcasts and made a few records before disbanding in 1949. Most of the band’s recordings were made for the Armed Forces Radio network, and you can hear that in this collection as most of the songs are introduced by an MC.

Songs in this terrific 18 song set include: Lady Be Good, Bugle Call Rag, Sweet Georgia Brown, Gin Mill Special, Honeysuckle Rose and One O’clock Jump.

–

The Coroner’s Gambit (2000) by The Mountain Goats (Genre: Folk, Rock):

The Mountain Goats is led by introspective singer-songwriter John Darnielle.
The Mountain Goats music is best described as bare bones folk music with rock overtones. The music consists of a guitar or two and the singing of John Darnielle which makes for sparse and accessible music – the listener feels as if John Darnielle is stitting nearby playing just for the listener.

Songs on the LP include: Insurance Fraud #2, Trick Mirror, Horseradish Road, Family Happiness and The Alphonse Mambo.

–

King’s Ballad (2010) by Georgia Anne Muldrow (Genre: R&B, Funk, Hip-Hop, Jazz & Electronic):

Georgie Anne Muldrow grew up in Los Angeles surrounded by music. Her mother Rickie Byars-Beckwith is a vocalist and her father Ronald Muldrow was a guitarist. Muldrow is a very versatile musician with a great voice and is a very prolific recording artists having released twelve albums since 2004.

King’s Ballad is her fourth album and features the songs: Simple Advice, Kings Ballad, Summer Love, Can’t Stand Yo Love, March for Africa and Thatch.

–

Gathering (2017) by Josh Ritter (Americana, Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Pop-Rock):

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Josh Ritter was born in Idaho and, as a youth was inspired to pick up a guitar and start singing after hearing Bob Dylan’s music. He is known for his deep singing voice and the witty lyrics of his songs.

Gathering is his twelfth album and features the songs: Train Go By, Myrna Loy, Strangers, Thunderbolt’s Goodnight, Showboat and Shaker Love Song.

–

Videos of the Week:

Ain’t Misbehavin’ by Tony Bennett

 

When The Lights Are Low by Tony Bennett

 

Joseph Haydn Quartet in C Major “Emperor” by Calidore Quartet (25 minutes & 59 seconds!)

 

Foot Tapper by The Echoes

 

Shadoogie by The Echoes

 

Videos of The International Sweethearts of Rhythm (24 minutes & 22 seconds)

This 24 minute video is made of clips that appear to have been part of the old Soundies series of videos. Soundies played in small coin operated, self-contained rear projection video machines, known as Panoramas, that were available in restaurants, night clubs and other public venues in the 1940s.

 

Bluejays and Cardinals by The Mountain Goats

 

Scotch Grove by The Mountain Goats

 

Showboat by Josh Ritter

 

Train Go By by Josh Ritter

 

Crackerjack by The Shadows

Have a great weekend!

Linda, SSCL

REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

Online References

AllMusic: https://www.allmusic.com/

The All-Female Big Bands That Made History During World War II by Audie Cornish & Noah Caldwell. April 17, 2019. NPR, https://www.npr.org/2019/04/17/714405107/the-all-female-big-bands-that-made-history-during-world-war-ii

Calidore String Quartet
https://www.calidorestringquartet.com/

The Echoes: When Guitars Ruled – A Tribute to the Shadows. Blues Leaf, http://www.bluesleaf.com/artists/echoes.htm

King’s Ballad review by Andy Kellerman, AllMusic, https://www.allmusic.com/album/kings-ballad-mw0001956315

Soundies, UCLA, https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/collections/soundies

*Freegal is a free streaming music service available for free to library cardholders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries. STLS member libraries include all the public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler, and Allegany counties — including our own Southeast Steuben County Library.

You can download the Freegal music app to your mobile device or access the desktop version of the site by clicking on the following link:

*The Freegal service offers library card holders the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are the top New York Times fiction and non-fiction bestsellers for the week that ends April 28, 2019.

(Click on the book covers to read a summary of each plot and to request the books of your choice.)

FICTION:

AFTER by Anna Todd:

A college freshman leaves behind a reliable boyfriend in her hometown and falls for a bad boy.

–

CELTIC EMPIRE by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler:

The 25th book in the Dirk Pitt series.

–

THE CORNWALLS ARE GONE by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois: 

An Army intelligence officer must commit a crime or lose her kidnapped husband and daughter.

–

DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid:

A fictional oral history charting the rise and fall of a ’70s rock ’n’ roll band.

–

FIRST LADY by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois:

Sally Grissom investigates the disappearance of President Harrison Tucker’s wife.

–

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles:

A Russian count undergoes 30 years of house arrest in the Metropol hotel, across from the Kremlin.

–

ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN by Lisa See:

The friendship over many decades of two female divers from the Korean Island of Jeju is pushed to a breaking point.

–

LOST AND WANTED by Nell Freudenberger:

An M.I.T. professor receives a phone call from her recently deceased screenwriter friend.

–

LOST ROSES by Martha Hall Kelly:

In 1914, the New York socialite Eliza Ferriday works to help White Russian families escape from the revolution.

–

METROPOLIS by Philip Kerr:

Bernie Gunther joins the Murder Commission in Berlin in 1928. The final Bernie Gunther novel completed before the author’s death.

–

MIRACLE AT ST. ANDREWS by James Patterson and Peter de Jonge:

A former professional golfer visits the course in Scotland.

–

RUN AWAY by Harlan Coben:

A family is torn apart when the daughter becomes addicted to drugs and goes missing.

–

THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides:

Theo Faber looks into the mystery of a famous painter who stops speaking after shooting her husband.

–

SOMEONE KNOWS by Lisa Scottoline:

A dark secret emerges when Allie Garvey returns home to attend a childhood friend’s funeral.

–

SUPERMARKET by Bobby Hall:

A depressed young man’s secrets are exposed when the grocery store where he works becomes a crime scene.

–

TALE TELLER by Anne Hillerman:

Investigations by Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito overlap in the desert Southwest.

–

TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ by Heather Morris:

A concentration camp detainee tasked with permanently marking fellow prisoners falls in love with one of them.

–

TWO WEEKS by Karen Kingsbury:

A pregnant 18-year-old has limited time to change her mind about giving her baby up for adoption.

–

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens:

In a quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.

–

WOLF PACK by C.J. Box:

The Wyoming game wardens Joe Pickett and Katelyn Hamm take on killers working for the Sinaloa cartel.

–

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW by A.J. Finn:

A recluse who drinks heavily and takes prescription drugs may have witnessed a crime across from her Harlem townhouse.

–

NON-FICTION:

ACCIDENTAL PRESIDENTS by Jared Cohen:

The stories of eight men who became president without being elected because their predecessors died in office.

–

AMERICAN MOONSHOT by Douglas Brinkley:

The development of NASA and the space race against the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

–

BAD BLOOD by John Carreyrou:

The rise and fall of Theranos, the biotech startup that failed to deliver on its promise to make blood testing more efficient.

–

BECOMING by Michelle Obama:

The former first lady describes her journey from the South Side of Chicago to the White House, and how she balanced work, family and her husband’s political ascent.

–

BORN A CRIME by Trevor Noah:

A memoir about growing up biracial in apartheid South Africa by the host of “The Daily Show.”

–

CHARGED by Emily Bazelon:

Issues created by mass incarceration and our criminal justice system are explored through the cases of two young people.

–

EDUCATED by Tara Westover:

The daughter of survivalists, who is kept out of school, educates herself enough to leave home for university.

–

THE HILL TO DIE ON by Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer:

A look at congressional gridlock and the first two years of Trump’s presidency.

–

LADIES WHO PUNCH by Ramin Setoodeh:

A behind-the-scenes look at the daytime talk show “The View.”

–

LIFE WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME by Chelsea Handler:

The comedian chronicles going into therapy and becoming an advocate for change.

–

MATRIARCH by Susan Page:

A biography of the former first lady Barbara Bush, based on interviews and her private diaries.

–

MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO SOMEONE by Lori Gottlieb:

A psychotherapist gains unexpected insights when she becomes another therapist’s patient.

–

RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY by Ben Shapiro:

The conservative political commentator reflects upon what he considers most impactful to Western civilization.

–

SAPIENS by Yuval Noah Harari:

How Homo sapiens became Earth’s dominant species.

–

SAVE ME THE PLUMS by Ruth Reichl:

A memoir by the former restaurant critic of The New York Times and editor in chief of Gourmet.

–

STONY THE ROAD by Henry Louis Gates Jr.:

The fight for Reconstruction’s promise, the terror ignited by Jim Crow segregation and its modern reverberations.

–

WORKING by Robert A. Caro:

The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer shares insights into his craft.

Have a great day!

Linda Reimer, SSL

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are our recommended titles for the week, five digital titles available through OverDrive and five print titles available through StarCat.

DIGITAL SUGGESTIONS OF THE WEEK:

The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters written by Priya Parker and read by Bernadette Dunne (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

“Hosts of all kinds, this is a must-read!” —Chris Anderson, owner and curator of TED

A bold new approach to how we gather that will transform the ways we spend our time together—at work, at home, in our communities, and beyond.

In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker argues that the gatherings in our lives are lackluster and unproductive—which they don’t have to be. We rely too much on routine and the conventions of gatherings when we should focus on distinctiveness and the people involved. At a time when coming together is more important than ever, Parker sets forth a human-centered approach to gathering that will help everyone create meaningful, memorable experiences, large and small, for work and for play.

Drawing on her expertise as a facilitator of high-powered gatherings around the world, Parker takes us inside events of all kinds to show what works, what doesn’t, and why. She investigates a wide array of gatherings—conferences, meetings, a courtroom, a flash-mob party, an Arab-Israeli summer camp—and explains how simple, specific changes can invigorate any group experience.

The result is a book that’s both journey and guide, full of exciting ideas with real-world applications. The Art of Gathering will forever alter the way you look at your next meeting, industry conference, dinner party, and backyard barbecue—and how you host and attend them.

 

The Moth Presents Occasional Magic, True Stories About Defying the Impossible edited by Catherine Burns (Format: eBook):

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From storytelling phenomenon and hit podcast The Moth—and featuring contributions from Meg Wolitzer, Adam Gopnik, Krista Tippett, Andrew Solomon, Rosanne Cash, Ophira Eisenberg, Wang Ping, and more—a new collection of unforgettable true stories about finding the strength to face the impossible, drawn from the very best ever told on its stages

Carefully selected by the creative minds at storytelling phenomenon The Moth, and adapted to the page to preserve the raw energy of stories told live, onstage and without notes, Occasional Magic features voices familiar and new. Inside, storytellers from around the world share times when, in the face of seemingly impossible situations, they found moments of beauty, wonder, and clarity that shed light on their lives and helped them find a path forward.

From a fifteen-year-old saving a life in Chicago to a mother of triplets trekking to the North Pole to a ninety-year-old Russian man recalling his standoff with the KGB, these storytellers attest to the variety and richness of the human experience, and the shared threads that connect us all. With honesty and humor, they stare down their fear, embrace uncertainty, and encourage us all to be more authentic, vulnerable, and alive.

 

The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester (Format: eBook):

For readers of Lilac Girls and The Nightingale comes an internationally bestselling World War II novel that spans generations, crosses oceans, and proves just how much two young women are willing to sacrifice for love and family.

1940: As the Germans advance upon Paris, young seamstress Estella Bissette is forced to flee everything she’s ever known. She’s bound for New York City with her signature gold dress, a few francs, and a dream: to make her mark on the world of fashion.

Present day: Fabienne Bissette journeys to the Met’s annual gala for an exhibit featuring the work of her ailing grandmother – a legend of women’s fashion design. But as Fabienne begins to learn more about her beloved grandmother’s past, she uncovers a story of tragedy, heartbreak and family secrets that will dramatically change her own life.

 

Shrill Notes from a Loud Woman written and read by Lindy West (Format: Downloadable Audiobook):

Shrill is an uproarious memoir, a feminist rallying cry in a world that thinks gender politics are tedious and that women, especially feminists, can’t be funny.

Coming of age in a culture that demands women be as small, quiet, and compliant as possible–like a porcelain dove that will also have sex with you–writer and humorist Lindy West quickly discovered that she was anything but.

From a painfully shy childhood in which she tried, unsuccessfully, to hide her big body and even bigger opinions; to her public war with stand-up comedians over rape jokes; to her struggle to convince herself, and then the world, that fat people have value; to her accidental activism and never-ending battle royale with Internet trolls, Lindy narrates her life with a blend of humor and pathos that manages to make a trip to the abortion clinic funny and wring tears out of a story about diarrhea.

With inimitable good humor, vulnerability, and boundless charm, Lindy boldly shares how to survive in a world where not all stories are created equal and not all bodies are treated with equal respect, and how to weather hatred, loneliness, harassment, and loss, and walk away laughing. Shrill provocatively dissects what it means to become self-aware the hard way, to go from wanting to be silent and invisible to earning a living defending the silenced in all caps.

 

The Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (Format: eBook):

New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson weaves a delicate tale of murder and mystery in the first book of a striking new series, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and E. Lockhart.

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.

The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.

 

PRINT BOOK SUGGESTIONS OF THE WEEK:

Binstead’s Safari: A Novel by Rachel Ingalls:

Another glorious tale of female empowerment from the author of Mrs. Caliban

After getting a haircut in London and a few new outfits (“she bought two pairs of shoes and began to enjoy herself”), Millie, the neglected American wife of an academic pill, is transformed―and, upon arrival in Africa, falls into the perfect affair. Binstead’s Safari unfolds the fractured fairy tale of the rebirth of a drab, insecure woman as a fiercely alive, fearless beauty. “Life was too short to waste time trying to find excuses for not doing the things you really wanted to do,”

Millie realizes, helping herself to love and joy. The husband is astonished―everyone adores the new Millie. She can’t put a foot wrong, and as they move deeper into Africa in search of lion myths for his book, “excitement and pleasure carried her upwards as on a tide.” Mysteries abound, but in the hands of Rachel Ingalls, the ultimate master of the curveball, Millie’s resurrection seems perfectly natural: caterpillar to butterfly.

 

Loch of the Dead: A Novel by Oscar de Muriel:

Edinburgh’s most famed detective duo―”Nine-Nails” McGray and Inspector Ian Frey―face their most metaphysical mystery yet, as they investigate a series of crimes surrounding the miraculous waters in the remote Loch Maree.

A mysterious woman pleads for the help of Inspectors Are and “Nine-Nails” McGray. Her son, illegitimate scion of the Koloman family, has received an anonymous death threat―right after learning he is to inherit the best part of a vast wine-producing estate.

In exchange for their protection, she offers McGray the ultimate cure for his sister, who has been locked in an insane asylum after brutally murdering their parents: the miraculous waters that spring from a small island in the remote Loch Maree.

The island has been a sacred burial ground since the time of the druids, but the legends around it will turn out to be much darker than McGray could have expected. Murder and increasingly bizarre happenings will intermingle throughout this trip to the Highlands, before Frey and McGray learn a terrible truth.

 

Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel by James Markert:

Run by renowned sculptor Robert Gandy and his wife and muse, Magdalena, the Tuscany Hotel hosted guests of a certain kind—artists, actors, scientists, and engineers who left their worries behind so that they could create their latest masterpieces. Surrounded by lore, the hotel was rumored to free the mind and inspire artists’ gifts. But tragic circumstances force Robert and his family to move.

After thirteen months at war, Vittorio Gandy is haunted by memories, and his former life is unrecognizable. Once a gifted painter, now he can’t bear the vivid, bleeding colors on a canvas. His young son doesn’t remember him, and his wife, Valerie, is scared of him. But the most disconcerting change is in Vitto’s father, Robert Gandy, who has fallen from being a larger-than-life sculptor to a man whose mind has been taken by Alzheimer’s.

When Robert steals away in the night, Valerie, Vitto, and his new acquaintance and fellow veteran John go to the only place Robert might remember—the now-abandoned Tuscany Hotel. When they find him there, Robert’s mind is sound and his memories are intact.

Before long, word gets out that drinking from the fountain at the hotel can restore the memories of those suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. The rooms once again fill up with guests—not artists this time, but people seeking control over their memories and lives. Vitto desperately wants to clear his own mind, but as he learns more about his mother’s life and her tragic death, he begins to wonder whether drinking the water comes at a price.

A story of father and son, memories lost and found, artists and their muses, Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel explores the mysteries of the mind, the truth behind lore, and the miracle of inspiration.

 

The Parisian, or, Al-Barisi: A Novel by Isabella Hammad:

A masterful debut novel by Plimpton Prize winner Isabella Hammad, The Parisian illuminates a pivotal period of Palestinian history through the journey and romances of one young man, from his studies in France during World War I to his return to Palestine at the dawn of its battle for independence.

Midhat Kamal is the son of a wealthy textile merchant from Nablus, a town in Ottoman Palestine. A dreamer, a romantic, an aesthete, in 1914 he leaves to study medicine in France, and falls in love. When Midhat returns to Nablus to find it under British rule, and the entire region erupting with nationalist fervor, he must find a way to cope with his conflicting loyalties and the expectations of his community. The story of Midhat’s life develops alongside the idea of a nation, as he and those close to him confront what it means to strive for independence in a world that seems on the verge of falling apart.

Against a landscape of political change that continues to define the Middle East, The Parisian explores questions of power and identity, enduring love, and the uncanny ability of the past to disrupt the present. Lush and immersive, and devastating in its power, The Parisian is an elegant, richly-imagined debut from a dazzling new voice in fiction.

 

The Spectators: A Novel by Jennifer DuBois:

A shocking crime triggers a media firestorm for a controversial talk show host in this provocative novel—a story of redemption, a nostalgic portrait of New York City, and a searing indictment of our culture of spectacle.

One of the The New York Times’s “10 Books to Watch for in April” • “Jennifer duBois is a brilliant writer.”—Karen Russell, author of Vampires in the Lemon Grove

Talk show host Matthew Miller has made his fame by shining a spotlight on the most unlikely and bizarre secrets of society, exposing them on live television in front of millions of gawking viewers. However, the man behind The Mattie M Show remains a mystery—both to his enormous audience and to those who work alongside him every day. But when the high school students responsible for a mass shooting are found to be devoted fans, Mattie is thrust into the glare of public scrutiny, seen as the wry, detached herald of a culture going downhill and going way too far. Soon, the secrets of Mattie’s past as a brilliant young politician in a crime-ridden New York City begin to push their way to the surface.

In her most daring and multidimensional novel yet, Jennifer duBois vividly portrays the heyday of gay liberation in the seventies and the grip of the AIDS crisis in the eighties, alongside a backstage view of nineties television in an age of moral panic. DuBois explores an enigmatic man’s downfall through the perspectives of two spectators—Cel, Mattie’s skeptical publicist, and Semi, the disillusioned lover from his past.

With wit, heart, and crackling intelligence, The Spectators examines the human capacity for reinvention—and forces us to ask ourselves what we choose to look at, and why.

Have a great week!

Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD, etc.

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos.

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial-free music each day:

RBDigital

*Magazines are available for free and on demand! You can check out magazines and read them on your computer or download the RBDigital app from your app store and read them on your mobile devices.

ABOUT LIBRARY APPS:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or RB Digital app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at 607-936-3713 and one of our tech coaches will be happy to assist you.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

Hi everyone, here are our lucky seven musical streaming* suggestions for the week.

(Click on the photo of the album or playlist you’d like to hear, to play it!)

V (2019) by Budos Band (Genre: Jazz, Classic R&B, Classic Rock):

The Budos Band describes their music as “doom rock Afro-soul big band with a ’70s touch.” I agree with their assessment and would add they also incorporate a pinch of experimental style into the mix.

If you like late sixties R&B and vintage rock and jazz from the same era, you should enjoy the music of The Budos Band.  V (Five) is the group’s brand new fifth album and it features the songs Old Engine Oil, The Enchanter, Six, Ghost Talk and Maelstrom.

 

The Drifter (2015) by Mike Flanigin (Genre: Blues):

Mike Flanigin is an Austin, Texas-based blues musician who has worked as a sideman for decades. The Drifter is his first solo album and he’s backed up by some terrific front line players including Jimmy Vaughan, Billy Gibbons, Gary Clark Jr. and Clem Burke.

This is a fun modern blues album!

Songs in the set include The Drifter, Fit to Be Tied, Stop the World, One Little Heart and This Life.

 

Fantastic Plastic (2017) by The Flamin’ Groovies (Genre: Traditional Rock, Sixties Rock, Roots Rock):

The Flaming Groovies are a traditional rock band who hail from San Francisco. Their first album was released in 1969 and they reformed to record and release this LP in 2017. The band features Chris Wilson on guitar and vocals, Cyril Jordan on guitar, George Alexander on bass and Victor Penalosa on drums; and unlike many albums released by groups who have long been apart and then reunited to play – this one is successful – it features a solid collection of traditional rock songs including: Have You Seen My Baby? Whiskey Woman, City Lights, High Flyin’ Baby and Yesterday’s Numbers.

 

Folk and Bluegrass Golden Hits, Vol. I by Judy Collins, Bonnie Dobson & Gordon Lightfoot (Genre: Folk):

In researching this LP online, I couldn’t find out when it was recorded. The music was recorded live, apparently during a single concert.

Judging by the tone of the voices of Collins, Lightfoot and Dobson who today range in age from 79-80, I believe this album was recorded in the sixties.

This is a fun classic folk album including the songs: Mountain Thyme & Golden Thread by Judy Collins, Bend in the Water and If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot and Morning Dew & Winter’s Going by Bonnie Dobson.

 

The Essential Bruce Hornsby by Bruce Hornsby:

Bruce Hornby and his band The Range burst onto the music scene in 1986 with an upbeat piano-centric album titled The Way It Is. In the years since Hornsby has branched out writing songs for other artists, playing jazz and bluegrass and even playing the keyboard with The Grateful Dead.

The Essential Bruce Hornsby collection features 29 songs and includes hits, B sides and a couple of live tracks. It offers a nice overview of Hornsby’s work and includes the songs: The Way It Is, The Valley Road, Black Rats of London, Mandolin Rain and Every Little Kiss.

 

Spring Cleaning Playlist by Various Artists:

Spring Cleaning playlist features 79 songs with a run time of 5 hours and 43 minutes. The playlist features an upbeat collection of songs some of which feature a cleaning theme and others, including Loverboy’s Working for the Weekend and Billy Joel’s I Go To Extremes seems to included to get you moving fast as you clean!

The collection features a mix of song old and new including Suds in the Bucket by Sara Evans, The Vacuum by Buckcherry, Picking Up The Pieces by Paloma Faith, Elbow Grease by Billy Sheehan and Yakety Yak by The Coasters.

 

Ultimate Beatnik Collection by Various Artists (Classic Fifties/Early Sixties Rock, Beat Music):

A zany collection of beat tunes including Private Eye by Alan Swain Orchestra, Travelin’ Blues by Slim Grillard & His Boogiereeners, Twisted by Annie Ross, Destination Mars by Frosty and the Diamonds and Dog by Bob Dorough

Bonus: It is the wrong time of the year for listening to holiday music but what a great album!

 

Jingle Bell Jazz (1962) by Various Artists: 

I know it is April and not November, however, this 1962 album is super cool!

It features great versions of popular holiday songs by classic jazz artists.

Songs on the LP include: Jingle Bells by Duke Ellington, White Christmas by Lionel Hampton, The Christmas Song by Carmen McRae, We Three Kings by Paul Horn, Santa Claus is Coming To Town by The Dave Brubeck Quartet and Blue Christmas by Miles Davis.

Christmas music in April is cool, even as the weather turns warmer!

 

Videos of the Week:

Old Engine Old by Budos Band

 

The Drifter by Mike Flanigin & The Drifter Band including Jimmy Vaughan

 

End of the World by Flamin’ Groovies

 

Morning Dew by Bonnie Dobson and Robert Plant

 

Mandolin Rain by Bruce Hornsby & The Range

 

Car Wash by Henry Mancini

 

Elbow Grease by Billy Sheehan

 

Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John

 

Bongo Blue by Curtis Amy

 

Destination Mars by Frosty and the Diamonds

 

Flipsville by Stormy Gale

 

Twisted by Anne Ross & The Count Basie Orchestra

 

Frost The Snowman by The Dukes of Dixieland

 

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town by The Dave Brubeck Quartet

 

Winter Wonderland by Chico Hamilton

Have a great weekend!

Linda, SSCL

REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

Online References

AllMusic: https://www.allmusic.com/

Veteran Texas Musician Mike Flanigin Teams Up With ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons on ‘The Drifter’: Exclusive Song Premiere by Gary Graff, June 17, 2015, Billboard, https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6598320/mike-flanigin-zz-top-billy-gibbons-the-drifter-exclusive-stream

*Freegal is a free streaming music service available for free to library cardholders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries. STLS member libraries include all the public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler, and Allegany counties — including our own Southeast Steuben County Library.

You can download the Freegal music app to your mobile device or access the desktop version of the site by clicking on the following link:

*The Freegal service offers library card holders the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.

The library does indeed have a makerspace!

Our Makerspace is called Creation Station and, basically, it is a place to go and use tools old and new to be create new things including 3 D printed items, sewing projects, Cricuit cutting machine projects, buttons and more.

Check out this brief video on the subject to learn more:

And we hope to see you at the Twin Tiers Mini Maker Faire on Satuday, April 27, 2019!

Have a great day!

Linda Reimer, SSCL